Heritage of the Law #9

Here are some comments on Installment 9 of President Ikeda's lecture series on the gosho "The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life".

"Nichiren has been trying to awaken all the people of Japan to faith in the Lotus Sutra so that they too can share the heritage and attain Buddhahood." (WND-1, 217)

This passage, says President Ikeda, expresses the fundamental spirit of the Buddha of the Latter Day. The Lotus Sutra is permeated by the Buddha's great vow to enable all people to attain Buddhahood.

The true heritage of faith is open to all people. This is the most crucial point. When it is correctly understood Buddhism can serve as a humanistic and universal religion. Nichiren made a great vow to

"But instead they have persecuted me in various ways and finally had me banished to this island. You have followed Nichiren, however, and met with suffering as a result." (WND-1, 217)

The sutra states that if one propagates the correct teaching in the evil age of the Latter Day, one is certain to encounter great persecution. Although persecuted unendingly, Nichiren, undaunted, confronted all obstacles head-on and triumphed over them.

"It pains me deeply to think of your anguish. Gold can be neither burned by fire nor corroded or swept away by water, but iron is vulnerable to both. A worthy person is like gold, a fool like iron. You are like pure gold because you embrace the “gold” of the Lotus Sutra." (WND-1, 217)

In praising Sairen-bo, Nichiren teaches us that the heritage flows in the lives of those who practice in the same spirit as the mentor. A person of pure gold is another name for a person of selfless dedication to the Law.

"The sutra states, “Just as among all the mountains, Mount Sumeru is foremost, so this Lotus Sutra is likewise.”¹¹ It also states, “The good fortune you gain thereby . . . cannot be burned by fire or washed away by water.” (WND-1, 217)

It's perfectly clear. No explanation needed.

"It must be ties of karma from the distant past that have destined you to become my disciple at a time like this. Shakyamuni and Many Treasures certainly realized this truth. The sutra’s statement, “Those persons who had heard the Law dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with their teachers,” cannot be false in any way." (WND-1, 217)

So, Shakyamuni and his disciples have been reborn again and again since the infimite past to practice as bodisattvas, This mentor-disciple relationship is eternal and deeply profound. This relationship is the vital spirit of the Soka Gakkai. If it lives on, our movement will continue to develop.

Shakyamuni, based on his awakening to the Law, strove to enable his disciples to achieve their highest potential. The disciples, their awarenes being clouded by fundamental darkness, could not percive the Law on their own. The Law was conveyed to them by coming into contact with the Buddha's charecter and by hearing his words of instruction. But what happens after the Buddha passwes away? The "Life Span" chapter says that, even after his passing, Shakyamuni will appear where there are practitioners striving in faith.

Comments on "The Gift of Rice" Gosho

Nichiren Daishonin's gosho 'The Gift of Rice' explains the sincerity of offering while emphasizing the value of life.

Man has two kinds of treasure, he saya, - clothing and food. Man depends on clothing and food to stay alive. But life itself is the most precious treasure. Even the treasures of the entire universe cannot equal the value of a single human life.

The boy Snow Mountains (Sessen Doji) offered his body to a demon to receive a teaching composed of eight characters (see the writing "14 Slanders"). Boddhisttva Yakuo, having no oil, burned his elbow as an offering to the Lotus Sutra. Prince Shotoku peeled off the skin of his hand on which to copy the Lotus Sutra and Emperor Tenji burned his third finger as an offering to Shakymuni Buddha. Such austere practices are for saints and sages but not for ordinary people.

The word "nam" derives from sanskrit and means to devote one's life. Ultimately it means to offer our lives to the Buddha. Whether man has wealth or not, life is still the most important treasure. Accordingly, saints and sages of ancient times offered their lives to the Buddha and were themselves able to attain Buddhahood.

Even common mortals can attain Buddhahood if they possess earnest faith. Earnest faith is the will to understand and live up to the spirit, not the words, of the sutras. It means that offering one's only coat to the Lotus Sutra or, in a time of famine, offering one's food on which life depends is equivalent to the acts of Sessen Doji and other sages. Therefore, saints consecrated themselves by offering their own bodies, but common mortals can do so by the sincerity with which they give.

The true path of life lies in the affairs of this world. Pre Lotus Sutra teachings expounded the duality of life - that they relate secular matters in terms of Buddhism. In contrast, the Lotus Sutra teaches that secular matters are Buddhism. Based on thsis oneness of life and environment, rice is not merely rice, but life itself.

Letter to the Brothers Study Points

(3) “Letter to the Brothers”
The following study points are related to the following passage:
“The doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life revealed in the fifth volume of Great Concentration and Insight is especially profound. If you propagate it, devils will arise without fail. If they did not, there would be no way of knowing that this is the correct teaching” (WND-1, 501).

When We Spread the Correct Teaching, Negative Functions Will Arise
Nichiren Daishonin emphasizes that those who practice and propagate the correct teaching of Buddhism will invariably encounter obstacles, and that the appearance of such obstacles serves to confirm the validity of their practice. This is a fundamental principle of Buddhism and a major point of this letter. (See Study Guide, pp. 49–50, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, pp. 53–54.)

Uncovering and Strengthening Our Buddhahood
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo—“the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life”—is the teaching that enables ordinary, unenlightened people to uncover their Buddhahood. All phenomena—body and mind, self and environment, sentient and insentient, cause and effect—are integrated in the life-moment of the common mortal. One’s life at each moment actually contains the whole of reality and pervades the entire universe. (See Study Guide, p. 50, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 54.)

It is through a courageous practice that we transform the source of our suffering and bring forth the power to overcome it.When this transformation of our fundamental darkness takes place in the context of propagating the Law, our Buddha nature is strengthened to the utmost and we are assured of victory. (See Study Guide, pp. 50–51, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, pp. 54–55.)

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The following study points are related to the following passage:
“One passage from the same volume reads: ‘As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere. . . . One should be neither influenced nor frightened by them. If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil. If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct teaching” (WND-1, 501).

“The Wise Will Rejoice While the Foolish Will Retreat”
Once we resolve to struggle for the sake of our enlightenment and help others do the same, we invariably encounter resistance from the fundamental darkness within, which also manifests in the form of external hindrances. By quoting the passage from the Great Concentration and Insight, Nichiren encourages Munenaka that his disinheritance actually demonstrates his strong faith, and that by persevering through this obstacle, he can change his destiny and further his enlightenment. (See Study Guide, pp. 51–52, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, pp. 55–56.)

Developing the Wisdom To See Through All Negative Functions
Only when we fail to recognize obstacles as functions trying to obstruct our progress in faith are we influenced or frightened by them, and only then do we allow them to come between the Gohonzon and us, and thus fall into the lower states of life. However, once we can recognize such hindrances for what they are,we will quickly find that we have the will and the courage to challenge them. They will no longer have power over us; rather, we can take them as proof that we are practicing Buddhism correctly. (See Study Guide, pp. 52–53, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 56–57.)

There is no other way for us to defeat devilish functions that arise from fundamental darkness than manifesting the life of a Buddha from within. To manifest Buddhahood, there is no other way than chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with faith. (See Study Guide, p. 53, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 57.)

Hardships Can Be a Good Teacher
We may tend to think of visible benefits as proof that we are practicing correctly, but in light of the above passage, the appearance of obstacles can also be tremendous proof of our progress in faith. What we must remember, then, is to “be neither frightened nor influenced by them,” as Nichiren teaches. Once we are resolved to overcome them, hardships can be a good teacher and a good means to lead us to purer faith, greater strength and a higher state of life. (See Study Guide, p. 53, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 57.)

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The following study point is related to the following passage:
“Whatever trouble occurs, regard it as no more than a dream, and think only of the Lotus Sutra” (WND-1, 502).

No Trouble Lasts Forever
When we face a serious problem, it often seems as though it will drag on indefinitely. But in reality, no trouble lasts forever. Most sufferings will not even last a lifetime. Faith in the Gohonzon, on the other hand, awakens us to the part of our lives that is eternal. In saying, “Whatever trouble occurs, regard it as no more than a dream, and think only of the Lotus Sutra,”(WND-1, 502), Nichiren teaches us to not be deluded by relatively minor hardships, thereby compounding our suffering or perhaps even abandoning our faith. To practice Buddhism is to wage a battle against devilish functions. Challenging devilish functions to reveal the pure state of Buddhahood is the essence of Buddhism. Our enlightenment and kosen-rufu itself can be actualized only when we are prepared to overcome obstacles and devilish functions. (See Study Guide, p. 53, or May–June 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 57.)

Gift of Rice Study Points

(2) “The Gift of Rice”
The following study point is related to the following passage: “As for the matter of becoming a Buddha, ordinary people keep in mind the words ‘earnest resolve’ and thereby become Buddhas” (WND-1, 1125).

Earnest Resolve Determines the Quality of Our Lives From Moment to Moment
Nichiren Daishonin explains that our earnest resolve is the key to revealing our innate Buddhahood. Earnest resolve refers to our innermost determination to practice and spread Buddhism for ourselves and for the sake of others. In terms of making Buddhist offerings, it denotes our sincerity—our heartfelt actions. The power of our resolve determines the quality of our life from moment to moment and also determines whether or not we reveal our Buddha life-condition and enjoy authentic happiness. (See Study Guide, p. 36, or March–April 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 70.)

The following study point is related to the following passage: “When we carefully consider what exactly earnest resolve refers to, it is the doctrine of observing the mind” (WND-1, 1125).

Observing the Mind Means Perceiving and Manifesting Buddhahood Within Us, No Matter What Our Circumstances
To “observe one’s own mind and to find the Ten Worlds within it” (WND-1, 356) means perceiving and manifesting Buddhahood within us, no matter what our circumstances. Put simply, the “observation of the mind” refers to one’s practice to attain Buddhahood. Nichiren teaches that by embracing the Gohonzon with faith and chanting Nammyoho- renge-kyo, we can perceive and bring forth our innate Buddhahood. (See Study Guide, p. 37, or March–April 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 71.) Our earnest resolve to devote ourselves to Nichiren Buddhist practice is synonymous with the “observation of the mind”—with our attainment of Buddhahood. (See Study Guide, p. 38, or March–April 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 72.)

The following study point is related to the following passage: “When we inquire into what exactly the doctrine of observing the mind refers to, it means that offering one’s only robe to the Lotus Sutra is equivalent to peeling off one’s skin. . . . This is the teaching called the paramita of almsgiving for the observation of the mind that is set forth in the seventh volume of Great Concentration and Insight” (WND-1, 1125–26).

Benefit of Offerings
Offering in actuality refers to the physical offering of one’s body and life for Buddhism as demonstrated by the stories of legendary sages. Offering in principle denotes the offering of
one’s material possessions with the earnest resolve to support the further spread of Buddhism as demonstrated by ordinary believers such as this letter’s recipient. Nichiren teaches that the benefit derived from offering in principle is no less than the benefit derived from offering in actuality. In other words, making offerings out of one’s earnest resolve to spread Buddhism and protect its integrity is the solid path toward attaining Buddhahood. (See Study Guide, p. 39, or March–April 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 73.)

The following study point is related to the following passage: “The true path lies in the affairs of this world. . . . In the end secular matters are the entirety of Buddhism” (WND-1, 1126).

Buddhist Practice and Daily Life Are Never Separate
The “true path” refers to the correct teaching of Buddhism which does not exist apart from secular matters. The practice of the correct teaching does not exist anywhere apart from society and one’s daily life. (See Study Guide, p. 40, or March–April 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 74.) Since “all phenomena are Myoho-renge-kyo” (WND-1, 384), from the ultimate iewpoint of those awakened to the Law of Myoho-rengekyo, Buddhism is at one with secular matters. Buddhist practice and daily life are never separate. (See Study Guide, p. 41, or March–April 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 75.)
Continually bringing the humanistic wisdom of Buddhism to our individual lives, families and communities—this is the genuine way to practice Buddhism. (See Study Guide, p. 41, or March–April 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 75.)

The following study point is related to the following passage: “The essence of the sutras preached before the Lotus Sutra is that all phenomena arise from the mind. . . . But it is not so with the Lotus Sutra. It is the teaching that the moon itself is mind, and the flower itself is mind” (WND-1, 1126).

The Spiritual and Material Are Essentially Inseparable
From the non-dualistic viewpoint of the Lotus Sutra the spiritual and material are essentially inseparable. Each life, each entity, is at one with the cosmic life. That is, “the moon itself is mind, and the flower itself is mind.” Instead of seeking the ultimate reality in a transcendent, metaphysical realm beyond all phenomena, the Lotus Sutra finds the ultimate reality at one with all phenomena, the cosmic life at one with our lives. (See Study Guide, p. 42, or March–April 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 76.)

The following study point is related to the following passage: “You should realize from this that polished rice is not polished rice; it is life itself” (WND-1, 1126).

Sincere Buddhist Offering Is Not Self-sacrifice
The sincere offerings we make to support the spread of Buddhism are in themselves the offerings of our lives and the cause for our Buddhahood to emerge. A genuine Buddhist offering—made out of one’s earnest resolve and directed toward the correct teaching—is not self-sacrifice. It is ultimately a gift each of us gives to his or her true self, that is, the Buddha dwelling deep within our lives. Moreover, it is an expression of and further cause for our joy and appreciation in practicing Buddhism. (See Study Guide, p. 44, or March–April 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 78.)

Three Kinds of Treasure Study Points

(1) “The Three Kinds of Treasure”
The following study point is related to the following passage: “Over and over I recall the moment, unforgettable even now, when I was about to be beheaded and you accompanied me, holding the reins of my horse and weeping tears of grief. Nor could I ever forget it in any lifetime to come” (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 850).

The Oneness of Mentor and Disciple At the crucial moment, Shijo Kingo, without hesitation, resolved to die with Nichiren, the sublime path of mentor and disciple.
Kingo overcame his fear of death and carried out faith, which was based on the oneness of mentor and disciple. This indicates that Kingo could open a path of life filled with wisdom, and is the reason Nichiren praises Kingo’s faith. (See Study Guide, pp. 24–25, or January–February 2007 Living Buddhism, pp. 52–53.)

The following study point is related to the following passage: “If you should fall into hell for some grave offense, no matter how Shakyamuni Buddha might urge me to become a Buddha, I would refuse; I would rather go to hell with you. For if you and I should fall into hell together, we would find Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra there. It would be as if the moon were illuminating the darkness, as if cold water were pouring into hot, as if fire were melting ice, or as if the sun were ispelling the darkness” (WND-1, 850).

Transforming Hell Into the Land of Tranquil Light If people allow themselves to be controlled by their fundamental darkness, they will commit one evil after another and eventually manifest the life-condition of the hell of incessant suffering.
Fundamental darkness can be overcome through faith in the Mystic Law. Nichiren shows us that faith based on the spirit of the oneness of mentor and disciple is
equivalent to faith in the Mystic Law. Even if both mentor and disciple fall into
hell, through the power of the Mystic Law, they immediately transform it into the Land of Tranquil Light. (See Study Guide, p. 26, or January–February 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 54.)

The following study point is related to the following passage: “But if you depart rom my advice even slightly, do not blame me for what may happen” (WND-1, 850).

Practicing as Nichiren Taught If we were to depart from our faith—our sense of oneness with the mentor, Nichiren—we would stray from the path of transforming evil
into good and hell into the Land of Tranquil Light. (See Study Guide, p. 27, or January–February 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 55.)

The following study point is related to the following passage: “But it is better to live a single day with honor than to live to 120 and die in disgrace. Live so that all the people of Kamakura will say in your praise that Nakatsukasa Saburo Saemon-no-jo is diligent in the service of his lord, in the service of Buddhism, and in his concern for other people” (WND-1, 851).

The True Meaning of Actual Proof
The true meaning of actual proof in Nichiren Buddhism lies in developing our character as we develop our faith. When we show actual proof in this sense, we can truly “live with honor”—worthy of the esteem of others. (See Study Guide, p. 29, or January–February 2007 Living Buddhism, p. 57.)

The following study point is related to the fllowing passage: “More valuable than treasures in a storehouse are the treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all. From the time you read this letter on, strive to accumulate the treasures of the heart!” (WND-1, 851).

Strive To Accumulate the Treasures of the Heart Nichiren teaches that what is most important to acquire in life are the treasures of the heart, which refer to the spiritual richness we cultivate within. These ultimately point to our faith in the Gohonzon and the good fortune we accumulate through that faith. Our efforts for kosen-rufu constitute the supreme practice to accumulate the treasures of the heart. As we do so, we can freely enjoy the treasures of the body and the treasures of the storehouse. The treasures of the storehouse refer to material wealth, while the treasures of the body include such qualities as good health and our various acquired skills and abilities. These treasures are necessary in some respects to improve our lives, but they alone will not enable us to win in life. (See Study Guide, p. 30, or January–February 2007 Living Buddhism, pp. 57–58.)